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Islamic Leaders: ISIS Are Not Muslims, They’re Criminals

A Palestinian man reads the Koran during the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan at mosque in Gaza City on July 21, 2013. Muslims fasting in the month of Ramadan must abstain from food, drink and sex from dawn to dusk, when they break the fast with a meal known as Iftar. AFP PHOTO / MAHMUD HAMS (Photo credit should read MAHMUD HAMS/AFP/Getty Images)

“In their struggle to give a voice to the oppressed, they have fallen victim to the oppression and brutality of ISIL,” said Saif Inam with the Muslim Public Affairs Council.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations held a press conference at CAIR headquarters near Capitol Hill on Tuesday night to condemn the actions of ISIS. Islamic leaders say the group are not Muslims, but instead are criminals.

“Let me be clear, the actions of ISIL are counter to the teachings of Islam and do not represent the faith in any way,” Inam said.

Ibrahim Hooper, communications director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, and other leaders said there is no support for the terror group in this country.

“There’s never been a mosque in America promoting this kind of extremist, violent ideology,” Hooper said.

“There has not been one mosque that has given any credence to the claims of support to the organization called ISIS,” Malik said.

Malik addressed the concern about the recruiting practices and the youth drawn to the groups.

“The reality is many of these young people…they’re not using their passport to go to help liberate people,” Malik said. “They’re catching a passport to hell.”

Malik goes on to say that some young people who come back and tell their friends that when they arrive over there, it’s not what they were told it would be.

“I believe if we could tell the story of those young people who were involved and then ran out – the ones who are sitting in a jail rotting – we could get journalists to go in and tell their story…we’d have another message for young people being recruited on the Internet,” Malik said.

He referred to the group as barbarians and called for the killings to stop.

“We pray for your sons and all the innocent victims of ISIL,” Inam said.

ISIS has threatened to kill a third hostage – this time a British citizen.